One Last Time
by Pachamama9
Summary: Alice Longbottom and Frank Longbottom did not die, but their minds died together that night beneath the Cruciatus curse. Alice, through the fog of brain damage and trauma, still tries to connect with Neville. One-shot.


_A/N: Neville tries to connect with his parents._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

* * *

"Frank, duck!" she cried, sending her a stunning spell above her husband's head and hitting a Death Eater square in the chest. She yelled, " _Expecto Patronum!_ " Her Patronus, conjured in the form of a bear, roared and launched itself a group of four dementors that had been chasing them.

Alice Longbottom had not expected to be in battle today. She had not expected to be attacked in her own home and brought against her will to this... What was this place? It seemed like a labyrinth; they were lost in the neverending maze of corridors and doors. She was only glad that they had not gotten her infant son, Neville, as well. He was the only thing that kept her going.

" _Incarcerous!_ " An array of magical rope is shot at Frank, and her husband fell to the ground, screaming for her to run. She did, but only made it a few hundred feet before a Death Eater with ratty, dark hair cast a body-binding curse on her. Frozen and scared out of her mind, she was dragged across the floor to her bleeding husband.

"Well, what do we have here?" called out a woman with crazy hair and a curved wand. "The Longbottoms, eh?" The others cackled. "Where's your pretty baby?" Alice wanted to lunge at the woman, but the curse prevented it. "You blood traitor," said another, and Alice watched in horror as he pointed his wand at Frank. "You thought you could get away with defying the Dark Lord? With betraying your kind?"

Frank spat at the man's feet, and in retaliation, shouted, " _Crucio!_ "

Alice Longbottom had never heard anyone scream so loudly.

"What about your wifey here?" said the one that Alice knew to be named Barty Crouch, Jr. He licked his lips. "She's mighty pretty. I wonder what she sounds like when she screams..."

"No!" cried Frank, struggling against the dark-haired woman. "No, not Alice, _no_!"

"Shut up, blood traitor," she growled, and inflicted another Cruciatus curse on him. Alice closed her eyes. She did not want to see it, did not want to—

The curse on her body was lifted, and she scrambled to her feet. She was limping slightly from when she'd gotten hit with a slicing hex. Red blood pulsed out of the wound. She took a step backwards on her good foot and realized that her wand was gone. They'd taken it from her when she was paralyzed on the ground. She held her hands out in front of her as some sort of last defense. Alice wanted to be at home, with Neville. How she loved it when Neville laughed. If only she could hear him laugh again. One last time. If only...

Crouch took a step towards her. Her stomach dropped. "Gimme a kiss, my pretty bird," he said and he moved towards her. Alice, wild-eyed, scrambled backwards. "Ooh, this is a fun game." He faked a lunge and she tripped over her own feet, her heart pounding. Crouch cackled and grabbed her by her wounded ankle. She shrieked and tried to prevent it, but he just kept pulling and pulling until she was beneath him. "There you are," he said, his hot breath far too close. He shoved his wet lips up against hers, and she jerked away. She swung her hand back and scratched deep, red lines in his face. Angry, the man slaps her right back. "Idiot girl," he hissed. "I could've saved you." He backed up, leaving her beside her trembling husband. She interlaced her fingers with his. Alice was so glad that Neville was safe. She'd rather die than let anything happen to her son.

"How...romantic," said the crazy-haired woman. She cackled, sending shivers down Alice's spine. Alice curled up beside Frank, kissing his hand as the woman and the man whispered in unison, " _Crucio_."

* * *

"And my friend Ron got sent a Howler, can you believe that? His mum just let loose on him for stealing that car in front of the entire Great Hall!" Nevile sighed. "I got you a present, Mum, 'cause it's your birthday and all." He held up a velvet blue box. "You want me to open it for you?"

Alice stared blankly. She wished that woman would stop screaming...

"Alright," said Neville. "I'll open it." He cracked open the gift with a snap and showed the inside to her. "It's a necklace, see? I'm not really sure what you like, 'cause... well, I thought since it was your birthstone, then you'd like it. It's a garnet... I think. 'Cause you're a Pisces an' all... Yeah. And some treacle tarts, too, just for you. Do you want one?"

Alice hadn't felt this safe in years... She couldn't remember... She couldn't remember... Alice was tired.

"Mum, are you alright?"

There was blood dripping down the walls. The red was creeping up the ceiling and covering the floor. She looked up and spun dizzily. His face... covered in—

Alice sucked in a breath and screamed.

"Mum, Mum... Hey, someone help!"

She started to thrash.

"We'll just give her some Calming Draught, we'll just—"

Blood rushed into her mouth, choking her. She gagged and fought, trying to flap her useless arms to stop it.

"Mum, you've got to let them help you. Just relax."

"Some Dreamless Sleep Potion would do her some good as well. If she's like this when she's awake, she tends to wake up like this in the middle of the night, and I hate waking up to comfort her."

"Thanks. Thank you. I mean, thanks."

The footsteps went away.

* * *

"You know they will never be the same, don't you? You can't just pour some potion down their throats and fix them. It's like they've been Obliviated and someone just screwed everything up in their heads at the same time. There's no plant on the planet that can save them."

"Don't tell me what I can't do. Those are my parents."

"I understand that they—"

"Sorry, Mr. Healer, sir, but like bloody hell you understand."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading!_

 _Challenges used:_

 _If You Dare Challenge - #89 (Spun dizzily)_

 _Are You Crazy Enough To Do It Challenge - #216 (treacle tart)_

 _Character Diversity Boot Camp - #47 (flap), Alice Longbottom_

 _Your Favorite House Boot Camp - #41 (suck), Gryffindor_

 _Fanfiction Writing Month: November [1001]_

 _The Golden Snitch - Through The Universe - #87 (Irregular Satellite) - Neville Longbottom (character)_

 _The_ _Golden Snitch - #2 (Marge Simpson) - Write about a mother._


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